Portland, Oregon

Acquiring and growing
Portland's best
small businesses.

We partner with established local businesses that have strong foundations and clear opportunities to grow, bringing operational expertise and long-term commitment to the lifeblood of our favorite city in the world.

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About

Built for
Portland,
by Portlanders.

Or/OR Ventures is a Portland-based holding company focused on acquiring and growing established local businesses. We look for companies with strong underlying products, existing teams, and clear room for improvement in operations, systems, and marketing.

Our backgrounds are in technology and growth, and we apply that lens to businesses where structure and strategy can unlock meaningful, sustainable value. We’re not tied to a single industry, but we’re drawn to community-oriented businesses: food & beverage, retail, and service companies already woven into Portland’s fabric.

We take a long-term, largely passive ownership approach, supporting operators behind the scenes rather than replacing them. The businesses we partner with keep what makes them special. We help them run more efficiently and grow more predictably.

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Our Story

Two transplants who became
true Portlanders.

Zach grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida. Ryan grew up in Orland Park, Illinois. They met at Red Bull, built a friendship around a shared way of thinking about business, and eventually both ended up in Portland. Not by accident, but by choice.

Portland has a way of becoming home in a particular, specific way. Our lives are here. Our families are here. And we believe that the city’s small businesses: the independent shops, restaurants, and service companies that make Portland feel like itself, deserve the kind of steady, thoughtful stewardship that keeps them rooted in what makes them great.

Or/OR is how we put that belief into practice.

Approach
01

Operational Clarity

We look for businesses where better systems, cleaner processes, and smarter tooling can meaningfully improve how the business runs day to day, and we roll up our sleeves to make it happen.

02

Growth Strategy

Our backgrounds are in tech and marketing. We bring a structured, data-informed approach to growth, without losing what makes a local business feel local.

03

Long-Term Ownership

We’re not flipping businesses. We buy to hold, support the existing team, and invest in sustainable growth over years, not quarters.

Tell Us About a Business
Team
Zach Zimmerman
Zach Zimmerman
Co-Founder

Zach has spent his career at the intersection of strategy, operations, and growth. He has worked with large-scale organizations across tech, media, and consumer brands. His first job at 15 was at his local sandwich shop, and he’s since helped service businesses in medicine and food & beverage reach new customers through marketing. He brings a systems-oriented mindset to complex problems and a genuine belief that good businesses are built through clarity and consistency, not hustle.

Outside of work, Zach is a proud dad of two and a diehard sports fan. He enjoys surfing, hiking, poker, and writing (you can find him at fathertimes.substack.com). His standing favorite restaurant is Oma’s Hideaway.

BA, Stanford University  ·  MBA, University of Michigan Ross
Ryan Gray
Ryan Gray
Co-Founder

Ryan brings deep experience in growth marketing, partnerships, and business strategy, with a background working across brand and performance on some of the world’s largest platforms. His passion for the service industry started early, working in kitchens in high school, and continued when he helped launch Reserve, a restaurant reservation platform in San Francisco that was later acquired by Resy.

Outside of work, Ryan is a father of three and a lifelong Chicago sports fan. He loves running, cycling, and exploring the PNW in the family Winnebago. His favorite restaurant in Portland is Jacqueline.

BA, Northwestern University
Contact

Know a business
that might be a fit?

We’re actively looking for new acquisitions and open to introductions from brokers, advisors, owners, and anyone who knows Portland’s business community well. No inquiry is too early.

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